Newport Beach

We had plans to take the whale tour Saturday afternoon. We hung out in Newport Beach beforehand. We grabbed lunch at BJ's Brewhouse. The family likes the ones in Vegas, so we thought it'd be quick and easy. Turns out they have a different menu; Amy and I weren't sure what to have. We eventually settled on pizza. It's deep dish, and supposedly Chicago-style so we thought we'd see how it measured up. It was no surprise that it wasn't even close. We agreed it was similar to Pizza Hut's pan pizza. It was edible, but I wouldn't order it again.

After lunch we walked around the boardwalk checking out the shops and art galleries. We passed time until our Whale Tour departed from Newport Harbor. We didn't see any whales on the tour, but we saw plenty of dolphins and sea lions. It was a fishing boat that took us out; it was extremely crowded. Thankfully, the seas were much calmer there than those I've experienced in San Diego. We all had an enjoyable time. It wasn't even chilly, it was the warmest temperatures I've ever experienced in California - thanks to the recent heatwave.

























After the whale tour we walked over to Newport Beach to watch the sunset. Nicky played in the sand; and we watched the surfers catch waves.













After a couple hours, we drove back to Huntington Beach. There was a taco shop, Las Barcas, that I wanted to try. Sadly, they closed too early. I drove by a Five Guys, I've been wanting to try it for ages so I was excited to finally come across one. We stopped in, but they didn't open for business until Wednesday. Bummer. We ended up at Lazy Dog Cafe across from the hotel. Cute dog theme, which my mom loved. Nicky enjoyed the open kitchen (he loves to cook), the menu sounded great and service was friendly. It all seemed promising, except none of us were thrilled by our entrees. I had chicken with gouda on foccia with cajun fries, Amy had a cheese burger, and my mom had steak.

We crashed once we returned to the hotel; all the fresh air wore us out.

Bolsa Chica Beach & Dayna Point

This past weekend we had a girls trip plus Nicky to see the Orange County Beaches. We stayed at the Comfort Suites in Huntington Beach. We left on Friday after I got off from work, we made two stops along the way; gas and dinner at Mimi's Cafe. We rolled in sometime after 9:00. We played in the hotel room until bed time. The room was comfortable and clean. It was a little tight for four people but it was a bit larger than most rooms I've had while staying in California.

Saturday we got an early start. We planned to tour the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, but we didn't make it on time. It worked out because we would've gotten rained out. We went to the Bolsa Chica Beach. It was clean and uncrowded, Nicky and my mom got their feet wet, and a couple waves caught them by surprise.

Rainbow over Bolsa Chica State Beach



















Lightening and thunder chased us off the beach. When the storms rolled in we drove down the Pacific Coast Highway until the skies cleared in Dayna Point. We stopped there, the beach was packed for some sort of paddle board competition. We walked a short trail that had pretty views of the marina.

Dayna Point













After Dayna Point, we headed back toward Newport Beach. We enjoyed the sight along the way.

A Taste of Chicago

There's a new hot dog joint in Summerlin. It brings the best from the Windy City to Sin City. Get the full scoop at Vegas Values: Windy City Classics.

The place has really awesome fries, too. They're crispy and fluffy on the inside, slightly salty and perfect with a little ketchup. I'm generally not a lover of fries, but these, these are good!

They also have a fun map for ex-Chicagoans to mark their former location. Frank and my childhood homes are represented. Fun!

A Pho First

Earlier this week I had nothing at home to bring for lunch, so I knew it'd be take out. My throat was sore and my sinuses were wonky so I thought it'd be a good time to try Pho. Da Lat is a place practically around the corner. So I called in an order for pho tai. Drove over and minutes and $7 later I was back at my desk with this...





I dumped all the fixings into the broth and had myself a tasty concoction.



It was fun to see the beef cook before your eyes. I will definitely get it again! I'll have to dine in and explore more Vietnamese treats.

SmashBurger

After dotting all the i's and crossing t's at the dealership, we drove over to the nearby SmashBurger for a bite. I've heard mixed reviews about the place so I knew I'd have to see for myself.

SmashBurger started in Denver. Locations are all over, but not many on the eastcoast, mainly west, midwest,... texas has a bunch.

Menu boards are on the wall, you walk up and place your order. You're given a number and you take a seat. Later, your food is delivered.

Frank's Avocado Club, multi-grain bun; haystack onions



My Spicy Baja, chipotle bun; sweet potato smashfries



Frank's burger and bun were far better than mine. My bun was dry, the meat was flavorless and the only taste that stood out was the chipotle mayo. Even that wasn't very good. My burger was a complete flop. My sweet potato fries were no better. They were limp, greasy and practically inedible. Frank definitely made the better choice, his bun was pretty good, and his burger was juicier than mine. His haystack was overly greasy.

The tab was $20, I'd much rather have Fuddruckers. They're far better and you get more for less.

New addition

So we bit the bullet and bought a new toy. We bought a '99 Suburban a while back and it was pretty good to us. It was just a gas guzzler and it needed a lot of maintenance. We just did $500 worth of repairs and it was the start of a long list of things that needed to be done. We bought the Suburban for easy off-roading and to pull the Jimmy to further destinations. We never used it to tow because it was too expensive. Furthermore, we've already done a fair amount of work to it, Frank didn't want it to become the money pit the Jimmy has. Enough was enough. Frank swore off buying a new car, but after taking everything into account, he ate his words. Buying new at 0% is too good to pass up. It was with my '06 Impala and this time was no different.


We bought a 2010 Avalanche with an off-road package. Timing was right that we were able to snag a great deal. This is Frank's first time owning a brand new car. He works hard, he deserves the experience. I don't like taking on a new car payment, but we we practically had one between the insane gas bills and regular repairs. When you put all the numbers side by side, it's only the registration that will cost a hefty sum compared to the Suburban. Nevada's broke, so we're doing our part to help them raise funds. That's the way I'm looking at it, anyway.

It's a smooth ride. It has lots of bells and whistles. No heated seats much to my dismay, but it has satellite radio. Which I'm mighty jealous of at the moment. Not only do I miss it terribly, but my cd player recently died. I've since been stuck listening to commercials. It's hell. Soon, I'll break down and buy an MP3 player. Then, my misery will come to an end.

This purchase boots me from my spot in the garage. I've enjoyed my two+ years of covered parking, but those days have ended. It's back outside for me, I'm left to battle the elements once again. I make it sound like I'm still in Chicago, my days at my apartment with tandem parking that back up to the alley was pure hell in the winter. As soon as you'd unbury the car, the plow truck would come by and bury you again. I know it can be much worse. But I'm a complete wuss in the cold so I'm really dreading this winter. I work so close to home that my car won't even warm up until I get to work. I deal with the same thing all summer parking outside at work, I'm home before my car cools down enough to feel the A/C.

Aside from losing my spot, I'm sure I'll love the Avalanche. I'm anxious for a road-trip. We're talking about finally seeing the Grand Canyon. With any luck, we'll make it happen.

Sleep. I need it.

I have piles of laundry. A kitchen sink filled with dirty dishes. A dishwasher filled with clean dishes. A house in disarray, that's in need of a good vacuuming and mopping. Two dvrs loaded with tv to watch, despite overlooking the premiere of new fall shows. My allergies are giving me hell for the first time in ages. Helps none that I exposed myself to dogs, smoke, hay, and dust much of the weekend. I had little sleep this weekend, instead, I spent much time playing and chasing after a three year-old and sneaking out during early morning hours to play at the casino with my sister. The start of the work week came much too soon this morning. I did not want to get out of bed. All I wanted was SLEEP. I have a to do list a mile long, but I'm fairly certain tv will win out tonight. That's if I don't fall asleep first.





This weekend we went to Pahrump's Fall Festival. I rode all sorts of carnival rides with Nicky. We had a lot of fun. But goodness it was pricey. Had I known how many tickets we'd need, I would've gotten us two all-day wristbands for $50; it would've only been $10 more. I haven't been to a carnival in 15 years so I suffered a bit of sticker shock. It was worth every penny though to see his excitement and hear his laughter.



We also went to Henderson's Super Run to check out the classic cars. The show was even bigger that last year. Amy made her first bet on football at the El Dorado. Too bad she didn't pick a winning parlay.

We had a number of meals out. Lucille's BBQ, where we ran into the world's slowest server. At the least the food was good. Then, quick bites at Chipotle and Jersey Mikes.

Amy and I went to Orleans after Frank and Nicky went to bed since we've haven't had the chance to get out. We played slots and keno, since the table games were crowded and limits were higher than usual. We had some fun. People watching was interesting, there must have been a body building competition or convention in town. The family also played at Pahrump's casinos. They tried their luck at craps, roulette and blackjack. Amy has picked it all up, but hasn't been fortunate enought to get on a good run, and my mom still doesn't grasp any of it. Some people are meant to play slots.



We did a little swimming, and took Nick to the splash pad at Town Square's park. In between, Nicky and I played cops. He loves to get the bad guys. We had so many arrests it's unreal. It's exhausting, but he's too cute to say no. I did try to encourage breaks and attempted to entice him to do other things, but no such luck. We had to get the bad guys. At most, I was able to convince him to stop for donuts and coffee. Those gave my feet a minute or two rest.

Back with photos

The fun we've had so far...

The Ice Cream man will have good sales this month.



@ Children's Museum









Cruising in the cul-de-sac





Ridin' the tram



Being a wild and crazy guy @ Bellagio's Conservatory



@ the Las Vegas Locos game







Off-roading: Carpenter Canyon





Looking out on Pahrump





@ mom's















@ The Putt Park









That's all for now.